AN: We made it, day 12! Thank you so much to everyone who has followed along with this story! I hope everyone has a safe, happy and healthy holiday! (I had every intention of increasing the rating for this one but honestly, when I sat to write it this is what naturally happened and it feels right to me)
The biggest thank you to May, for beta-ing these day by day (and who woke up today and said it was weird to not have one to read). Seriously couldn't do it without ya!
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
A family.
"I love you too."
The moment the words leave her mouth, Harvey's arms are wrapped around her upper body and he's licking her cheek. He tugs Donna into his lap and runs his hands down her arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps in the wake of his thumb.
She deepens the kiss, nipping on his lower lip before doing so, her hands tugging gently on his hair. He shifts his attention from her lips to her neck, kissing his way from her cheek to her collarbone, pausing to ravish each freckle with his tongue. She tosses her head back with a sigh and surrenders to his touch.
"Let's get out of here?" he breathes into her neck.
"Yeah?" she whispers, pulling her head back to stare at him.
"Yeah." His eyes are clouded with desire and passion, and she's tempted to take him here and now though she knows they should leave before things get too far.
He shifts beneath her and she climbs down from his lap and reclaims her seat beside him. "Okay," she says.
"The car should be waiting downstairs," he explains.
"Shit!" she exclaims, jumping up from the couch. "I'm supposed to catch a 5:45 flight and spend the holidays with my mother."
"Cancel it. Spend it with me."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course I am. Spend Christmas with me. We can order takeout and watch those ridiculous movies you like."
"You don't have plans?"
"Donna, there was nothing I would love more than to spend the holidays with you."
Giddy, she nods and takes his hand. They reluctantly part and gather their jackets before intertwining their fingers and heading to the lobby hand in hand. The office is already empty, everyone having headed home for the holidays, but neither of them notice, to caught up in one another.
Donna rests her head on Harvey's shoulder while they wait for the elevator to arrive, and squeezes his palm once it does. He follows her into the elevator car but abruptly stops and tugs her back into him at the threshold of the car.
She tilts her head in question but Harvey only smiles and looks up at the small green leaf dangling from the ceiling. He leans down and kisses her tenderly, stealing once final glance at the silver names on the wall before the two of them step into the elevator and the doors close.
"I thought you hated mistletoe," she smirks.
"Maybe it isn't so bad."
Tumbling into Harvey's apartment, they're barely through the front door before they begin undressing each other. Years of pent up sexual tension releases itself as Donna frees Harvey of his tie and watches as it tumbles to the floor. He removes her jacket in a haste and tosses it on the ground next to his tie as he manovers them through the dimly lit hallway and towards his bedroom.
She doesn't have time to overthink or over analyze what's about to happen, instead she's struck with the sudden epiphany that this is real, this is happening. They crash through his bedroom door, Harvey's shirt strewn open, Donna's dress partially unzipped, and she's overcome with emotion. Harvey pauses, cupping her face in his hands and looks down at her.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yes," she smiles weakly, a single tear manages to roll down her cheek and he wipes it away with his thumb. "I just can't believe this is happening."
"We can slow things down, we don't have to…"
"Harvey," she reaches up and touches his face, "I want this. I want you."
He scoops her up and with a giggle tosses her back on the bed. He nuzzles into her neck and bunches her dress at her waist, then whispers in her ear, "You have no idea how badly I want you."
"Show me."
.
.
The next morning, they wake a mess of tangled limbs, wrapped in Harvey's sheets. The sun has begun peeking through the semi-drawn curtains and it bathes Donna's exposed back in orange. Harvey places a lingering kiss to Donna's head as she stirs in his arms and whispers, "good morning."
She opens her eyes and snuggles into his side, her leg slipping between his beneath the covers. "Last night was…"
"Incredible," he answers for her. He steals a proper kiss and rests his chin on her head.
"Do you want something to eat?"
"Are you offering to cook me breakfast?"
"I was thinking about it but that means I have to get up. And I'm not ready to do that just yet," he smirks.
"Tell you what, why don't we spend the morning doing this and then later this afternoon we can pick up some brunch on the way to my place?" Donna suggests.
"By this do you mean…" Harvey places a sloppy trail of kisses from Donna's ear to her neck.
"Yes," she grins.
"You know, we could just stay here all day," he suggests.
"We could, but I still have to call my mother and explain why I missed my flight. Besides, I have nothing to wear here and you promised we could watch holiday movies."
"Alright alright, your place it is. But first…."
.
.
When they finally manage to tumble out of bed, Harvey goes to put on a pot of coffee while Donna hunts around in his dresser for something comfortable to wear. She appears in the kitchen wearing the dress shirt he wore the night before and props herself on one of the stools at the counter.
"Why do you look so good in my shirt?" he asks, sliding her a coffee mug.
"I'm glad you think so because I'm keeping it."
"You still have my other sweater."
"I was thinking I could wear this later. Only this."
"You play dirty," he whines. He takes a seat next to her and reaches for her hand. "But alright. Do you know how crazy it drove me when you sent me that picture wearing my sweater?"
"It drove you crazy?"
"Absolutely mad," he admits.
"What would you say if I told you that was all I was wearing?"
"I'd say, come here," he beams. He gets up and kisses her, scooping her up so he can place her on the counter and stand between her legs. With both hands planted firmly on the counter on either side of her, he peppers her face with kisses. She hooks her legs around his calves and urges him forward, kissing him like it would be the last time she ever got to do so.
.
.
Back at Donna's apartment, the two of them settle on the floor around the coffee table with an assortment of chinese food spread between them. Donna puts on a movie in the background while they eat and they discuss her original plan to spend the holidays with her mother. She steps out for a few moments to call her mother and explain, and her mother tells her she figured she wouldn't make it after Amy called to tell her that she and Harvey were something of an item.
Donna rolls her eyes at Amy's antics but makes a mental note to thank her one day for saving her from a being on the receiving end of a lecture from their mother. When she returns to the living room, Harvey has tidied up the food and set out a blanket in front of the sofa.
"Did everything go alright with your mother?"
"Turns out she figured I wasn't going to make it."
"Oh?"
"It's a long story," Donna shrugs, "what's all this?"
"I thought maybe we could watch the last episode from down here?"
"You want to watch?"
"I thought that you'd want to watch," he explains. "And I don't mind."
Donna joins him on the floor and slips under his arm, resting her head on his shoulder. "This has turned out to be the perfect Christmas."
"My favourite one yet. I know we still have some things to talk about but I need you to know, I'm in this for the long run Donna."
"Me too," she smiles.
"Now, allow me to fulfil my boyfriendly duties by watching this stupid show one last time."
"That sounds nice."
"Watching the show?"
"Boyfriend," she smirks.
Harvey shifts closer to Donna and places his palm on her knee while she searches through the menu for the season finale of The Twelve Days of Christmas. His hand begins to creep up her thigh and he watches as a smile settles across her face. She tries to stay focused on the screen but a dip of his thumb to her inner thigh forces her to turn and look at him.
"What?" he smirks innocently.
"I thought we were going to watch?" she teases.
"We are. Is this okay?"
She rolls her eyes in response before leaning over and quickly kissing him, a silent way of telling him he's being ridiculous.
"The show's not going anywhere," Donna winks, pulling the throw blanket up over her shoulders at the same time she straddles Harvey.
.
.
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Chapter 12: A family
"Are you sure my being here is alright? I don't want to impose on your Christmas morning with the girls," Michelle whispers. She's laying on Mr. Shawns bare chest, the sun still hidden behind the heavy drapes.
"They'll be thrilled to have you here."
"Are you sure I shouldn't leave and come back?"
"Michelle, it's fine. I promise."
"I don't have anything to wear," she explains.
"What's wrong with the outfit you had on last night?"
"I wore it last night."
"The only ones who saw it were me and the babysitter," he smirks.
"I hope you tipped that poor girl well," Michelle blushes. Neither she or Mr. Shawn realized she was waiting for him to return home and hadn't expected her to be waiting up on the couch when they stumbled through the front door wrapped in each other's arms.
"Fine, I'll stay," she replies, "but what are we going to tell the girls?"
"We'll tell them that you came over to spend Christmas with the people who love you."
"You don't think they'll be surprised?"
He cracks a smile, "not even slightly. They know how I feel about you."
Mr. Shawn leans down and brushes his lips against hers, "Merry Christmas Michelle."
"Merry Christmas Mark."
They slip out of bed before the sun and enjoy a cup of coffee while they wait for the girls to wake up. Michelle looks around at the apartment and picks up a photo of Mr. Shawn and the girls and grins. She adored how much he loved his kids, it was one of the things that first made her fall for him.
The girls excitedly sprint into the kitchen, yelling about the presents under the tree and Michelle's heart flutters. They don't notice Michelle initially, too focused on the mound of gifts beneath the tree, but when they do their excitement doubles.
"Michelle!" they both squeal, launching themselves into her arms.
"What are you doing here?" Rebecca asks.
"I wanted to spend Christmas with you guys. I hope that's okay?"
"Of course it's okay!" Rebecca beams.
"See daddy, I told you she would want to spend Christmas with us," Sadie says to her father.
"I told him," Sadie tells Michelle.
"Oh you did, did you?" Michelle smiles. She moves to sit on the ground with the girls and Sadie scoots closer to her.
"Yes. We told him to tell you he loves you."
Michelle's eyes grow wide and she smirks at Mr. Shawn over their heads.
"They may have given a few suggestions," he blushes. Though his girls were not the reason he told Michelle how he felt, their suggesting he do so only reassured him that he was doing the right thing by being honest about the way he felt.
"Do you girls want to open up some presents?" Mr. Shawn asks.
The girls bob their heads excitedly and he passes them each a wrapped gift. He claims a seat on the floor next to Michelle and wraps an arm around her. They watch while Sadie and Rebecca tear through the paper concealing their gifts and squeal with excitement about their new dolls.
"They're so sweet," Michelle whispers to Mr. Shawn.
"I'm extremely lucky," he replies, squeezing her shoulder.
.
.
"This episode is pretty good," Harvey comments. He and Donna were sprawled out on the rug beneath the blanket, their bare legs intertwined, Donna resting against Harvey's chest.
"I love his girls, they're so sweet," Donna swoons.
"Do you think they'll have a happy ending?"
"I'd like to think of it as their happy beginning. Don't," she raises her hand to silence him, "say that that's lame. Let me have this."
"I wasn't going to say anything."
"Yes you were."
"Okay I was, but only because that sounded like one of the lines used in one of those cheesy romantic comedies."
"You and I both know reality is nothing like what you see on screen."
"Isn't that the truth," Harvey chuckles. He kisses her temple and wraps his arms around her tighter.
.
.
"Dad, you have to give Michelle her present," Rebecca urges.
"You didn't have to get me anything," Michelle whispers.
"It's just something small," he says, he rises to his feet and walks into the kitchen where he retrieves a small black box from the top drawer.
He returns and kneels in front of her with a cocky smile. Her hands fly to her mouth when she realizes what's happening and the girls giggle and gather together behind her.
"Are you doing what I think you're doing?" she chokes.
He opens the box and reveals a stunning stone and takes her hand. "Michelle, I think I've made it pretty clear how I feel about you but in case there was any doubt, I want you to be a part of my family. We would be honoured to have you as part of our family," he corrects himself.
"Would you make me the luckiest man in the world and marry me?"
The credits begin to roll, concluding the second season with an even bigger cliff hanger than the first.
.
.
Donna gasps and stares at the dark screen with wide eyes. She and Rachel were going to have a lot to talk about during their next girls night. For now, she had Harvey to talk about the episode with, amongst other things. She knows they have a lot to talk through, but being here in Harvey's arms on her living room floor, she knows they've finally made it. There will be no going back from this, and she finally realizes she was afraid for nothing. Donna smiles over at Harvey and takes his hand.
Harvey gestures at the screen and sighs, "Thank god he finally figured it out, I bet he's sorry it took him so long." He kisses Donna and then continues speaking, "I know I am."
"We're here now," she smiles, "that's all that matters."